Residential mortgages: Portuguese market building upwards

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Plastic cards: Italian transaction value will be double Portuguese

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Ireland's wealth market to outperform the rest of the PIIGS

The wealth markets in Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain (PIIGS) are among the worst performers at a global level, highlighting the difficulties faced by some of the traditional wealth markets. Western Europe as a whole has performed poorly in recent years, and the outlook up to 2015 is now even bleaker, with downward developments looking increasingly likely.

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Investments: EU causes alarm and despondency

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High net worth investors' high exposure to sovereign debt should be a major cause for concern

The passage of legislation in the US to raise the debt ceiling will be welcomed by investors worldwide, but US Treasuries are not out of the woods yet and Europe's debt faces further downgrades. This is bad news for the eurozone's high net worth investors, who hold 13% of their wealth in these supposedly "safe-as-houses" investments.

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Health insurance: Greek private market will more than double

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Barclays: moving closer to card portfolio growth aspirations in Portugal

In line with the company's international card portfolio growth strategy, Barclays plans to buy Citigroup's Portuguese credit card business. Despite market difficulties due to consumer attitudes to credit, the acquisition is a step in the right direction for achieving company growth aspirations.

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Barclaycard: Portuguese expansion on the cards

Barclaycard's decision to enter the Portuguese market reflects its desire to continue its international expansion. Portugal is a sensible choice of country since parent bank Barclays [BARC.L] already has a retail banking presence there, and Portuguese consumers are keen credit card users. However it will have to ensure it can achieve the scale necessary to operate profitably.

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Banco Espirito Santo: eyeing Spanish high net worths

Banco Espirito Santo (BES), Portugal's third largest private sector bank, is reportedly planning to attract 15,000 new wealthy clients in Spain by opening four or five new private banking offices by the end of 2005. The ability to use its existing client base as a tool to leverage new business will be central to ensuring BES achieves its ambitious targets across the border.

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